Chapter 315: Mary Sue's First Kiss Lost, The Arrogant Maid's Declaration of War (1)
"Ya, do you still remember this Night Orchid?"
"This was the one we planted together back then."
"I watered it while you fertilized it..."
As Lilith spoke, she brought her nose close to the flower, taking in a deep breath. The nostalgia on her face grew even more intense.
"We were so innocent back then."
Scenes of them planting flowers together surfaced in Shia's mind.
He nodded slightly, a faint, barely perceptible smile forming at the corners of his lips.
Shia turned around and picked up a watering can from the side, looking at Lilith.
The moment their eyes met, Lilith's gaze seemed to brighten.
She took the watering can from Shia's hands and watered the Night Orchid.
But Shia didn't let go.
The two of them held onto the same watering can, droplets falling from the spout. The sunlight refracted through the mist, creating a warm and luminous glow.
In that instant, an unspoken understanding surged between them.
Even time seemed to slow down, stretching into something gentle and soft.
They sat down on the lawn, gazing at the clouds drifting in the sky.
This lawn was where they had played most often in their childhood.
From the time they were learning to walk to the years of growing up little by little, it held too many memories for them.
Two little kids, sneaking behind the adults' backs, trying to have a cookout here, nearly setting the lawn on fire;
"Ya, do you remember? The servant who was supposed to take care of us got punished by Father, and you stepped up to take responsibility."
Lilith turned her head, her gaze on Shia filled with intoxicating tenderness.
The nostalgia in her eyes seemed to pull Shia back through time to that very moment.
Faced with her words, Shia naturally followed along.
"Every autumn, you loved doing your homework here."
"Tia held an umbrella for you, and I fanned you while watching you."
As Shia spoke, he lay down on the grass.
Above him was a deep blue sky, dotted with drifting white clouds.
The sunlight was bright but not blinding.
Lilith lay down beside him as well.
The two of them simply stared at the sky, feeling time pass by, moment by moment.
It felt like they were walking through a tunnel of time.
Step by step, traveling back from the future to the past.
Until now, lying on the soft grass, under a sky identical to the one from their memories.
As they came all this way, Lilith seemed like a pure and radiant moonlight, serene and beautiful, making one yearn for her.
Especially the way she looked over at him now.
There was hidden emotion in her gaze—so passionate yet so reserved.
The shy affection of a girl in love—just one glance was enough to drown someone in it.
Was this happiness and beauty?
Shia's lips curled slightly, as if he were smiling.
The lessons he once taught Tia ended up being used in a moment like this.
What was meant to deal with White was now being used on himself.
All of this before his eyes was nothing more than the PUA tactics of a wicked woman.
He wasn't some brainwashed victim.
He had a complete sense of self, his own identity.
He was not her subordinate, nor had he been turned into her loyal dog under the erosion of memories.
From beginning to end, Shia knew exactly what her intentions were.
Besides, were those memories really that beautiful?
...
"Shia, hurry up!"
The girl's childish voice carried a cheerful tone.
Shia carried a huge watering can in one hand and a compost bucket in the other.
The size of the watering can and compost bucket might have been small for an adult, but for the young Shia, they were heavy burdens.
The girl in a white princess dress skipped ahead of him, while the boy behind her was drenched in sweat.
When they finally reached the Night Orchid,
She smiled warmly and used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
The little loli, with her childish voice filled with gratitude, made the little boy instantly forget all his hardships.
Even though he had done all the work, just a few sweet words of thanks made his whole body brim with energy.
The young Shia, thinking he had protected Lilith, didn't even notice that when he bent down to fertilize the flower, the sly little loli was pinching her nose and fanning the air, her face full of disdain.
She was clearly disgusted by the smell of the fertilizer clinging to him.
But the moment the little boy lifted his head, her expression instantly turned into admiration, her voice remaining as cheerful as ever.
"Ya, you're amazing!"
...
And then there was that time when, just because the little loli wanted to eat grilled meat but was forbidden by her strict father,
The young Shia went out of his way to fetch flint, prepare ingredients, and attempt to grill meat for her.
As expected, things went horribly wrong.
His arm was burned, yet he never questioned why the attendant who always followed them around was nowhere to be seen until the fire had already gotten out of hand.
Under the little loli's distressed gaze, he swallowed his emotions and acted like a small man shielding her from all harm.
When he was questioned for the accident, seeing the little loli's pitiful, frightened expression, the young boy's heart welled up with endless sympathy.
He stepped forward and took all the blame upon himself.
After being punished, she secretly came to see him, whispering her sweet words of persuasion...
In that dark little room, under the faint but warm glow of a matchstick,
The image was deeply etched into Shia's mind.
The golden-haired loli's eyes were filled with hopeful light, as if they contained a sky full of stars.
"Ya, will you always be this good to me?"
She repeated the same words every afternoon as she did her homework, watching the boy, drenched in sweat, fanning her diligently.
Her golden-haired loli's sweet smile remained unchanged as she asked that familiar question again and again.